I guess 360,000 dead yankees didn’t quite make the point:
The House yesterday apologized to black Americans, more than 140 years after slavery was abolished, for the “fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow” segregation.
The resolution, which passed on a voice vote late in the day, was sponsored by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), a white Jew who represents a majority-black district in Memphis. Cohen tried unsuccessfully to join the Congressional Black Caucus this year…
Cohen faces a tough fight against airline lawyer Nikki Tinker, who is black, in the Democratic primary Aug. 7.
His measure was co-sponsored by 42 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), the House majority whip; Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), chairman of the Judiciary Committee; and Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. None of those caucus members has endorsed his reelection bid.
Ah, the sere joys of identity politics.
Amazing what someone can do to save his own a$$. He is the only white congressional incumbant in a district with a majority of black voters and this ijjit is playing politics of the worst kind.
I sincerely hope the man loses.
Just another reason for mandatory term limits.
If they really want to apologize for something that means something (as if) they could say “We, Congress, are sorry for being such a bunch of asshat idiots.”
I’m not holding my breath.
They [the congressional Democrats] will do anything to delay addressing the real issues, like allowing offshore drilling, and they’ve run out of Post Office buildings to name.
Not the brightest bulbs in the chandeliers, are they?
Marianne
Sure sounds like they apologized to themselfs. Surprised they didn’t reparate themselves too.
This is such total BS it makes me talk to myself…loudly! I had the same thought as Marianne when I saw the story – they’ll do anything rather than take care of business for the country.
Ok. It occurs to me that this might just be a very good thing. So, fine, the government has officially apologized after 40+ years of give-away social programs which were also meant, in so many words, to help make up for the effects of prejudice etc. And we’ve spent how much money in those programs . . . trillions?
Are we through now? Can we stop the give-aways already?
Congress: We’re sorry.
America: Yes, you are.
Surprised they didn’t reparate themselves too.
Well, at least Jefferson (D – Cold Cash) already did.
Seriously, though, I fully expect reparations to come up again once there are no more adults in the room to ride herd on the prolific pandering proclivities of the congressional clown couple, Pelosi and Reid.
I know bashing congress is good clean fun, but I’d like to interject just a bit–though I don’t expect anyone to agree.
There are folks for whom this is symbollically meaningful…you refer to identity politics, but ignore that self-identification grew out of people first being segregated–this holds true, of course, for all ethnic and racial groups.
Yes, there is a portion of the population for whom this will be justification to further push for reparations–a ridiculous expectation. But there is a small but worthy population of Americans for whom this apology is important.
In my circle are living people who were raised by former slaves (yes, in this country)–were raised on the stories of what was endured before, during and after ‘the war of southern independence.’ One-hundred-forty years is not all that long when measured generationally. These are folks who served in the military for this country, who built their own businesses, supported education when schools for blacks were only given enough public funds to be open 5-6 months a year. They are patriots in every sense of the word–folks who would identify themselves foremost as “Americans”– who through no choice of their own have had a color identification thrust upon them their entire lives. And for these folks, a number of whom served in WWII, it has hurt them that our government apologized to Japanese Americans for their treatment during World War II–a time when African Americans were still hung from trees in too many parts of this country (north and south alike).
Yes, the reasoning and the timing behind this apology was cynical, it was politically motivated, and as on this blog, has certainly inspired no small number of groans, eyerolls, and exclamations of disgust.
Yet, despite that, there are people for whom this is meaningful, very meaningful indeed, for an apology means that they finally have the opportunity to respond, “I forgive you.”
Forget the Jessie Jacksons, Al Sharptons, forget those who manipulate the system, instead: think about the folks who used to sit in the back of the bus, who remember the humiliation of first learning theirs was a separate water fountain, the people who remember hiding under their beds during election time when the bulldozers rode through their neighborhoods, people who remember Emmett Till’s mutilated body being sobbed over by his mother and thought, ‘that could have been my child’. They are in their 80s and 90s now, but I can tell you, for a number of them, this is meaningful.
Sorry to go on, but by accident, IMHO, congress did something right, and I’d hate to see that get lost.
Now EVERYONE can be proud of their country. I hope. No, wait, change that.
Don’t necessarily disagree KM, but when something externally noble is done for what appear at least to be internally crass reasons, it does take a bit of the bloom off the rose. And there were those 360k Union soldiers who gave their own last full measure of devotion to liberate men they’d never seen. I think that ought to count for something in the overall reckoning.
Having had one face-to-face w/Mr Cohen, early in his political career, I can attest to the potential for disgust of this man from most readers of this blog. SlickWillie’s got nuttin’ on this dude. A white Jewish guy with a 90% black constituency. Naw, ain’t no politics in this. None atall.
And KM; maybe so, but there are some other, more pressing matters that maybe should be atteneded to first. This is BS and beyond. Progressives – hack/spit!
It wouldn’t be the first time that crass reasons led to appropriate actions…and while I respect everyone’s right to disagree, for me, it is a bit embarassing that this has been so long in coming in any form.
As for not being a pressing issue, I don’t know where you live SlickRick, but I live in a region where race, racism, and their historical legacies are entwined in every aspect of political, economic and social life. So, does an apology fix that? Nope, but I’d like to see more productive discourse (not lip service) on the subject, not less…and if nothing else, we need to become comfortable talking about the problem rather than continuing to ignore it. At least its getting some folks talking, even if it is to hack/spit.
On a historical note, seems to me the 360,000 Union soldiers died before Reconstruction and Jim Crow, a period covered by the apology. The racial violence of the 100 years following the Civil War did dishonor to those men and women who died for this nation in the Civil War.
Among those Union soldiers were no small number of African American men who first demonstrated their willingness to die for the cause on Slaughter’s field at Port Hudson, Louisiana, in 1863. During those last years of the war any Union man who gave his last full measure of devotion on the battlefield did so, most likely, fighting alongside a black man…that, for me, at least, is more poignant–they were fighting for real comrades in arms, men they were coming to see as equal humans, not unseen faraway chattel.
And finally, I don’t know Mr. Cohen in any way, so will not comment on the specific man, but I wonder, generally, when we point and suggest that a white Jew could not be motivated by factors other than self-interest in this matter, are we not lowering ourselves to participate in the kinds of identity politics denounced in the initial post?
Lex and KM
The Civil War was not officially and politically about ending slavery until 1864. And even then, it was only about ending slavery in the Confederacy (since the Emancipation Proclamation only applied to states then in rebellion against the Union and thus exempted such slave states as Maryland, Kentucky, and West Virginia).
The war was first and foremost about whether it was grammatically correct to say “the United States is” or “the United States are.”
While “some of the bloom may be off the rose” as Lex suggests, KM is dead on that the apology is no less appropriate, overdue and well-intentioned for all that. After all, even the Southern Baptists got around to <a href=”http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1058/is_n21_v112/ai_17332136″ aplogizing in 1995; though their <a href=”http://media.www.iowastatedaily.com/media/storage/paper818/news/1995/06/29/UndefinedSection/Baptists.Apology.For.Slavery.Seems.Insincere-1086954.shtml” sincerity has been called into question.
As for the “give away” programs mentioned by others since the Great Society was passed by Johnson, I ask only this: Is it okay that some measure of leveling the playing field be allowed when by law, by hook and by crook an entire race of people, for no reason other than the color of their skin, were prohibited from fulling participating in the economic and political life of the nation?
It rather seems the least one can do under the circumstances. And, SR, Progessives may deserve contempt on occasion (or often); I hear no approbration aimed at conservatives who tried to block a bill on economic and financial health of the nation (which was supported ultimately by the President). Seems to me the contempt you heap on Progressives might be aimed at politicians generally. But I may be asking too much.
Respects
OAM
You know km, if our elected representatives passed a resolution apologizing to R. Catholics for former national activities, numerous and often legislated, I would probably experience a passing sense of gladness, until I recall that hostilities are still extant, only much more insidious. At the risk of lectures, I believe the above mentioned situation is similar. Bigotry is with us to stay unless you’re a utopian, & legislation is the result of good works, not the cause. So get workin…(-*
KM
Does productive discourse = reparations in your “region”?
As for your “region”, can you live anywhere in this country and not have that demographic. As for your need to dicuss the (your?) problem vs ignore it, let’s get real. How many people, other than victim-mongers eg: Sharpton, Jackson and their ilk, are tormented by events 4 and 5 generations removed?.
I know many of various “color” and have never heard the waling that’s common with guilt ridden white progressives. h/s. It’s not an issue except to those expecting salvation/profit from their heartfelt concerns. Or votes. Or money. My BS meter pegs out everytime I catch wind of such tripe. Reminds me of the 1000 year grudges so common in the Near and Middle East. Is that what WE have to look forward to?
When will we (The MAN)be paid up? Can I at least be advised what my payoff is? Or at least when? Ever? Getting tired of getting that bill.
My theory is suck it up. Walk it off. Move on.
KM,
Perhaps an official apology is neccessary, but there are plenty of wrongs in this country that could demand an official apology. For instance; “no irish need apply”, or the horrors perpetrated on the American Indians on the trail of tears, or how about how chinese immigrants were treated during the late 1800′s as they were working to build the railroad. The point is, when will we have apologized enough? When will the bill be paid in full?
As far as the apology finally allowing people to say “I forgive you”; I would only say that it is up to the individual person whether or not they forgive people… regardless of whether or not an apology is made or whether or not it is sincere.
If people feel they need an apology to forgive, then I guess that’s their business. Personally, I choose to forgive wrongs done to me whether or not there’s an apology made. It’s much easier on my health to live without all that resentment and hatred.
Best,
Jim C
Jim C you took the words right out of my mouth. I couldn’t have said it better than that. “Forgiving isn’t forgetting. It is remembering that you forgave.” Forgiveness helps us in so many ways as individuals.
There were many “official and political” reasons that the civil war could not be officially made against slavery, including of course the expediency of making sure the border states didn’t bolt the Union. But it is quite clear that regardless of “official and political”, the threat to slavery that Lincoln posed was core to the rationale for succession, and core to the principles for which the vast majority of Union soldiers fought.
It is no coincidence that it was “John Brown’s body” that became the “Battle Hymm of the Republic”: And truth goes marching on.
I think it is frankly pretty insulting to so many Americans who stood against racism to expect such an apology today. I didn’t see Martin Luther King focused on extracting apologies; much to the contrary. He forgave others, and looked forward, not backward. How much further we might be today had we been given another decade with him. Certainly the civil rights movement would not have been led down the blind alley of blame and entitlement that Jesse Jackson and his ilk took it.
So much cynicism…. and with extra tangential, diversionary issues added …. a pity.
Apology – probably appropriate. Coming from Mr. Cohen (D-Tenn) in his current political state – probably not so much.
As for reparations, I shouldn’t have to pay for those reparations until someone makes the British pay reparations to me for forcing my family out of Ireland all those years ago. Fair is fair, and I need Guinness!
Hi y’all,
Thank you for all the thoughtful and respectful responses, I felt a bit guilty about poking at the hornets’ nest, but felt that your direct comments deserved answer–an answer that I hope you will recognize is born out of a great love for this country and her people.
I think it is easy to not see racism if you do not experience it, and I think there are plenty of people who are “sucking it up” and still impacted by discrimination. I’ll spare you examples, they would undoubtedly be labelled as the blathering of someone who just wants a payout.
The reality is, racism endures because the system is dependent upon those who most benefit not seeing it. Sorry if that upsets some folks to say that, but it’s true. By not seeing it, you, you enable it. And that holds true of any demographic, in any region of this country.
I wholly agree, solving the problem is about good works, about changing your corner of the world a bit each day. I sleep okay on that count; but we can only each evaluate for ourselves whether we believe that to be the case.
If apologizing over and over again gets us to recognize where the good works need to be focused, then mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa. Confession is good for the soul…I learned that in the Catholic Church. Of course, it is easier to leave the forgiveness to others without taking responsibility for one’s actions or the benefits one has received because of others’ actions.
Discourse doesn’t = reparations, the notion that such things are associated with a pricetag is a strange one to me and only a red flag raised to distract from the main topic of discussion. Discourse means listening to why some people in this country are convinced that the decks are stacked against them. Do you think this pervasive feeling is planted in people’s minds by a flailing leadership???? It is rooted in daily experience. You might be amazed at what some folks experience. Have you ever been told to straighten your hair in order to be seen as a “professional”? Have you ever been asked while walking on a university campus ‘what sport do you play?’, (because of course, to be a person of color on campus you must be an athlete). Have you ever had someone express surprise that you speak English without an ‘accent’?
I guess, SlickRick, in rereading your comments, I have just one question, who is your WE? You seem to be equating WE with “The Man” (should I assume that the unwritten assumption here is White Man?), and in doing so you presume something about your audience. For me, WE is the American People, and WE are Black, Brown, White, Red, Yellow, in ever changing compositions. (Yes, WE once feared that the dirty Catholics would outbreed the ‘native’ protestants, and hung Sicilians in the sugar fields alongside African-Americas, WE outlawed Chinese men bringing their families into the country for generations, and WE should regret those acts). WE are in flux, ever, constantly changing–this is the beauty and strength and unique aspect of our nation. WE have freely taken of the world’s wealth–intellectually, culturally, socially. WE have also always feared the new person coming into the fold–be it the Irish, the Chinese, the Polish, the Vietnamese, the Japanese, Nepali, Muslim, African, the Latino, etc. etc., etc.–and WE have done ugly things in the process–and yet, we have always managed to shift our attitudes, to widen our tent to make AMERICAN an increasingly inclusive category. Our Constitution has held steady throughout it all. We have nearly peacefully transferred power from presidency to presidency without violence for over two centuries (well, there was that stolen election of 1876). Wouldn’t it be nice if we could learn from the past and just skip that whole ugly initiation period for our newcomers?
Jim C., as for each person deciding if they were sorry or not: In this case, the government owed the apology–for in our original constitution, a beautiful document written by great, but still human and flawed men, we advocated for enslavement–and what’s more, named each enslaved person to be valued as only a fractional human for purposes of representation. The government political parties negotiated the conclusion of the 1876 election which ended Reconstruction and started the bloody period of Redemption and ultimately Jim Crow. In this case, I can be sorry all I want as a US citizen, but it doesn’t amount to a hill of beans.
I’ll go and sit quietly now.
“Dogs and sailors keep off the grass”
Where do I go for my apology, being of the seafaring, not canine persuasion?
While some may see this “Apology” as a noble and deserved act, in this context it is nothing short of a combination of cheap political opportunism, bribery and fear of objecting to anything (no matter how foolish) that will bring immediate charges of racism.
While I am not terribly upset about the “Apology”, I am fearful that I will have cause to be totally outraged when the “reparations” nonsense is pushed. Under an Obamessiah presidency with Congress controlled by the party of asses, will surely pass.
Who are the idiot 9% who approve of Congress? Those people probably vote, and that REALLY scares me!
Apology from the Muslim and other slave masters of Africa coming in 3…2…1…
Oh right, it is only Americans that owe an apology. Time to sack up and stop looking for a justifucation for failure. Do some folks face longer odds than others? Of course? Are those long odds due soley to the color of one’s skin vs that of others? Not by a long shot.
While predjudice certainly still exists, there are many more factors (ie. family structure, poverty, cultural pressure not to be like ‘the man’) that present limiters to success. Finding solutions to those issues, which, to be successful, must come from the community, will go a lot farther in achieving racial equality than any of this hat-in-hand legislation will do. IMO, bills like this only feed the problem, fostering a sense of “see, they’ve been keeping us down”.
Instilling a respect for education, persistance, and perserverance are the most valuable gifts we can pass on to future generations. Teach them that they are responsible for their own success, and help them gain the tools to achieve it. If you let others define who you are , you are bound by the limits they place on you. The greatest antidote to predjudice is success, in spite of the small minided efforts of those that would pigeon hole you by race, creed, religion or otherwise.
Yes, KM, for this discussion, WE are the white man. The folks held totally responsible and accountable for sins of their fathers. Passes are given to all those of color. I won’t even venture into the abuses of Affirmative Action programs and other “Progressive” (h/s) guilt trips.
While tolerant of those with differing opinions, and color even, as a “cracker” , “whitey” or whatever other derogatory name given those of (non?) color, I, as The MAN, ought to have an option of what is offensive and seek just reward. Over and over and over. Seems only fair. Where’s my money for being called “Slick” or “Baldy” or “CueBall”? Whose slave called their master that 150 years ago. I want NAMES! I WANT MY MONEY! NOW! Or else I’ll continue to piss-n-moan ’til I get some satisfaction. Yes, that is as stupid and demeaning and idiotic and whatever other “handle” you want to hang on that sense of oppression of the Bald Guy. I’m guessing I’ll go to my grave with the bitterness built up by the untold millions of slights afforded me and my clan of Bald Ones, unless, of course, I can get me a check. Seems to solve a lot of personal issues, that check. At least ’til the money runs out.
KM,
Thank you for the articulate thoughtful discussion.
Did not Bill Clinton apologize? I also think Abraham Lincoln did too, (I am a little fuzzy on that) Now Congress has. What is next? Should the Supreme Court? I never owned a slave, nor did my father or his father.
I guess at this point I am simply restating what you said the government owed the apology for valuing enslaved people less than free.
I agree.
My point is that it may be hard to get an apology from those who wrote that. We certainly are not them.
You know what, I’m not apologizing. Because none of the people that lived under slavery are still alive to suffer under it. I haven’t benefited in any way shape or form from slavery. My Great-great Grandfather sat siege at Vicksburg to help end it.
I’m also not apologizing for the Nazis, Napoleon, Ghengis Khan, Shaka Zulu, Attila, Nero, and the kids that bullied your sorry ass in 3rd grade.
Life is not fair, the sooner you cop to that, the happier you’ll be in life.
Now use my tax money to fix the roads and shut the hell up.
If I could raise a practical question at this point, does anybody have the address of President Hosni Mubarak? There’s this bandwagon I found, low miles, thought maybe he’d be interested in it…
– Max
I find it offensive that my family is being accused of such crimes just because of my skin color (white) When the fact of the matter is that my family did not even migrate into this country until the late 1950′s. Actually, I am a minority, Maltese to be precise. Am I saying, Where is my free college scholarships for being a minority? Do you hear me asking: Who can I complain to about being wrongfully accused of having a part in Slavery over 150 years ago when in fact my ancestors arrived here in the 1950′s? The answer is NO. Fact is, I am sick and tired of being discriminated against over this slavery issue that doesn’t even have anything to do with my family or my ancestors. My hands are free of blood yet because I am “white” I am considered guilty as charged. Something wrong with this picture. Maybe it isn’t the “white man” alone who is racist. Wake up America!!
Jessica, the concept that because your family immigrated here recently you are not party to racism in America is rejected by the far left. The fact that you are here and you are white means that you automatically are able to take advantage of “White privilege”. That’s defined as all the advantages that automatically attach to people in America who are white and are therefore immune to the disadvantages of racism that is still extant in America. So you still have guilt to expiate and reparations to make.
I haven’t benefited in any way shape or form from slavery.
Which means, Cro, that the far left also rejects this statement. They hold that there are still numerous structures (physical, economic and cultural) that were built on foundations laid decades ago by slavery, and that those who are at the top of such structures therefore still benefit thereby, whether or not they or their ancestors were themselves the architects.
This is taught in colleges here in the U.S., and it’s moving into our high schools and below. Of course, they’re also teaching that racism != racial predjudice, it = racial predjudice by people who have power in our society – and “people of color” don’t have power in our society and therefore CANNOT be racist.
To all; every time I hear the phrase “people of color” I ask the same question; what’s a person of color? What defines someone as a person of color vs. a white person? I have yet to get a definitive answer.
Cro got to it before me. I’m not apologizing and I resent that the Congress, as our elected officials have apologized. It’s obvious that this is just a political stunt, but a lot is going to be made over it.
So, does that mean I believe there has been nothing worth apologizing for? No. I just think an apology doesn’t do anything but stir up more problems. Once again we’ve told people, this time from a particular ethnic group and background, that it’s not your fault. Fail at something? The white man did it and it’s his fault not yours. Someone else get the job, house, car, girl, etc. etc that you wanted? It’s the white mans fault. Where is the personal responsibility?
But, the “Apology” is out there. Amends have been made. That means we can all just start treating each other as fellow human beings and forget about differences in skin color or national origin or shoe size. Right? Right?
Besides, I haven’t done all my genealogy, and I do have pretty dark skin. Am I owed an apology or do I owe one?
Congress, please get off your butts and vote to allow us to work on more, diverse energy sources, (hint, hint, Nuclear) so we don’t run out of fossil fuels just when things are getting good. Then I might respect you.
Apology? I don’t give much respect for that.
RonF has it exactly right re: racism and racial theories. I had to go through that when I got my teaching certificate. I have never been more angry and offended than when I was repeatedly told I needed to accept my inherent racism as a white woman, and acknowledge that I had been blind and insensitive to the rampant racism I displayed in my very thinking patterns.
This was in spite of growing up in a sheltered world where I thought the multitude of people of with a variety skin colors in my world were no different from me than the redhead next door, and with a black woman I considered my second mother. Granted, that “no difference” thing was a naive outlook that existed in pure form only until I discovered the existence of racism elsewhere at about the age of six and began to understand that peoples’ experiences with true racism had affected their outlook, but my early experiences with so many different races/cultures cemented my view of how similar we all are in our basic humanity, despite our different experiences.
I fought back hard in that class, and I think I convinced the teacher (a white woman) that I was not “typical.” That was somewhat of a triumph, but it felt a lot like being told, “You’re the good kid, not like your worthless sister over there.” All that class did was build walls, and even confirm mutual stereotypes among some of the people there. It put the few minority races in the classroom on edge, and built resentment among the decent and open-hearted white people who had grown up with almost zero interaction with different races. Their first exposure to getting to know someone of another race was being told “You’re a racist bigot.” Nice. I’m sure that did wonders for their ability to reach out to people who were “different” than them (it wasn’t the only such class I experienced, but it was the most obvious in terms of spelling it all out).
Which leads to one of my hobby horses–emphasizing peoples’ differences is putting the cart before the horse; people are drawn together by their commonalities. It is only when the trust of having a way to interact on the basis of what is in common or mutually understood that people with vast differences can feel “safe” enough to confront what divides them.
Today’s multi-culturalism is all about what divides us rather than what unites us, so it is reducing rather than increasing tolerance and understanding. I’ve written before about my unique high school experiences in which we recognized that we were bound by religious, school, and typical teenage experiences to the point that we naturally (without plans and pressure) celebrated those differences in a talent show that involved literally 4 different natively-spoken languages and at least half a dozen different races and nationalities (in some cases, the races and nationalities overlapped; in others, they were as foreign to us Americans as Japanese exchange students acting out an entire skit in Japanese).
I better stop now. This whole topic just makes me crazy.
Some of my paternal ancestors on one side emigrated here with the Vikings. On the other side, they were already here as Native Americans. Some of my maternal family came here from Sweden at the turn of the 20th century. Others came over from England in the mid-19th century.
None of them ever owned slaves. Many of them were persecuted because of the color of their skin. My family’s tribe was nearly wiped out.
My paternal great-grandfather fought in the Plains Wars – against the Indians. Imagine the conflict in my own family about that.
Does my mother expect an apology for the near-annihilation of her family’s tribe (her grandmother was a full blooded Native American)? No, she doesn’t. She never has. It’s part of her past, but not an active part of her present.
So what is the worst crime? Slavery or the near-annihilation of an entire race from the only land they had ever lived on? Do we need to make such distinctions?
Or is it time to say, the bill is paid in full. Moving forward.
KM,
Perhaps you misunderstood (part of) what I was trying to say… I was trying to say that people should forgive wrongs regardless of whether or not there’s an apology made.
Jim C
I am amazed (although perhaps I shouldn’t be) at the expressed indignation and latent anger this simple, kind, and tax-free Congressional apology engenders here.
It isn’t that big of a deal, nor should it be for most of us. And it is not unprecedented.
Previously, Congress has officially apologized to Japanese-Americans for their WW-II interment, to native Hawaiians for the overthrow of their kingdom, and the Senate in 2005 apologized for failing to pass anti-lynching laws. Earlier this year Senator Brownback (R-Kansas) sponsored legislation leading to an official apology to the American Indian. In fact, a number of states and even corporations have issued similar formal apologies for earlier transgressions.
These apologies are certainly not required. Nor do they harm anyone in any way. They are merely a kind gesture that acknowledges earlier transgressions and provide some small consolation to those certain afflicted groups. To apologize denotes a certain strength and courage.
These apologies affect me in no way. But that so many here seem personally offended by such a small considerate action, does puzzle me.
Indeed those “360k Union soldiers,” who died to make men free… count for “something.” But it was still some years after the last man had fallen on the battlefield that the Jim Crow laws were initially enacted, and continued for over a hundred years. Far worse than that official and systematic oppression has been the estimated average of two African Americans a week who were lynched in the United States between 1880 and 1920.
For many, it was a long period of ‘American terrorism’. While the union soldiers did not die in vain, they also did not fully solve a long lingering, American tragedy.
Don’t probably need to keep this going, but fliterman wrote something I have to take a little exception over.
“These apologies are certainly not required”
Then why waste the time and taxpayers money to push something like this through Congress?
“Nor do they harm anyone in any way.”
Unless they help people to continue to feel like victims instead of taking responsibility for their own lifes.
I could go on, but you’re not going to change my view and I’m not going to change yours.
Nor do they harm anyone in any way.
Physically, no, I guess not, unless the admission of guilt leads to raparations. But the unbridled arrogance demonstrated by speaking/apologizing on my behalf for something that I don’t believe that I am culpable for rankles at a visceral level.
re- “simple, kind, and tax-free Congressional apology engenders here. ”
“Simple” alright. Simple as in simpleton or simple as in simple pandering. Yep. Call it what you will -”a small considerate action” Flit, I call it political pandering. No indignation here, just simple disgust.
Kool-Aid will do that to you.
b2
Fliterman,
This apology will hurt people. The apology has laid the groundwork for reperations. Read the text of the apology.
Furthermore, how many of these people who were harmed by Jim Crow and slavery are still alive? If they’re not alive, then what on earth is the purpose of the apology… other than to lay the groundwork for reperations?
Finally, as I said before, when do we stop apologizing? The American Indian, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Irish, etc etc… It goes on and on and on. Personally, I can think of a lot better things to spend my tax money on… and yes, it does cost money. Money for the salaries of staffers to put together the apology, money to print the apology for everyone that wants a copy of it before they vote on it, money for the saleries of the overpaid congressmen who are voting on the apology… etc etc. Nothing our federal government does is free. Not even a pointless apology.
Jim C
Everybody is descended from somebody in a group which got screwed over at some point. Everybody is also descended from people (well, male people anyway) who won the fight to get laid. Females in loser groups always had a hard time.
Maybe this is why women like their men to go kick ass on those other groups.
Folks, I’m surprised you’ve missed the ultimate apology, the one that keeps on spending, I mean giving: AFRICOM.